Ladies’ Edinburgh Magazine > Volume 5

Afghanistan. 107
anotlier succeeded in establishing their dominion over the
whole of the Asiatic continent, with the sole exception of
China. These rulers of the East have a way of puzzling the
unlearned, by appearing in history under the varying names
of Tatars, Usbegs, Moghuls, and Turcomans, but by whatever
name they may be called, they are all of one race—a race
which for many centuries gave despotic rulers to both India
and Afghanistan.
The first Turkish Sultan of both these countries was
Mahmoud Ghuzni; and since his time the rich and hapless
land of India has suffered from no less than six principal
invasions of Turks from Central Asia, who have swept down
from Cabul to devastate the fertile plains of Hindustan.
Until the days of British rule in India, whoever wore the
crown of Cabul held the crown of India, if not in his hand
at least within his grasp. One invasion, therefore, after
another followed in quick succession—the invaders being
all alike animated by a thirst for plunder, a deadly religious
hatred of the ancient Hindoo creed, and a tierce determi¬
nation to sack their villages and destroy their temples.
We give the dates of the six principal invasions to which
we have already referred:—
In 1002 A.D. The Turks under Mahmoud of Ghuzni.
1303 A.D. The Moghuls under Genghis Khan.
1398 A.D. The Turks under Tamerlane.
1525 A.D. The Turks under Sultan Baber.
1739 A.D. Nadir Shah's Invasion.
1761 A.D. Ahmed Shah's Invasion.
These are, no doubt, some of the most noted invasions of
India from Cabul, but in point of fact the highlanders of
Afghanistan looked upon the plains of Hindustan as the
Goths looked upon Italy, and their attacks were continual.
Mahmoud of Ghuzni alone, made no less than thirty forays
into India ; and these incessant wars never ceased until
the British Government acquired permanent possession of
Northern India.
Afghanistan itself has remained meanwhile beneath the
undisputed rule of its Asiatic conquerors; and there—as
formerly in India, as now in Europe—Turkish rule has caused
ceaseless rebellion and internecine war; it has ended in tlie
permanent oppression and grinding poverty of the people.
It is true that the Turks of Central Asia, like the Turks of
Europe, have the virtues of a military aristocracy, and are
generally both brave and truthful; but their whole civil